The phlebotomine sandflies of Portugal. V. Observations on the ecology of the vectors of leishmaniasis in the Alto Douro region.

In a survey carried out in the kala-azar endemic region of the Alto Douro, a total of 4,903 sandflies was caught, as follows: Ph. ariasi 3,166 (64.6%), Ph. perniciosus 1,533 (31.3%) and S. minuta 204 (4.1%). Ph. ariasi was most abundant in September, when the greatest level of infection was observed (1.03%) while perniciosus was more abundant in July. In any case, both species coexist during great part of the year. No sandflies were found from November to April.